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Save the shalwar!
As summer approaches I see colourful billboards everywhere! Skinny models in glam make-up are wrapped in designer fabric - all to impress female consumers. The models wear long qameezes and short ones,...
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Modern conservatives: Proud Muslims wear their faith
The Islamic dress code, the head-scarf for women and the facial hair for men no longer signify rigidity or old school thinking. They never did. Take a walk in the park and you will sense an...
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Is the veil not cool enough for France?
Is it difficult to be a woman, a Muslim and a self-proclaimed fighter of gender discrimination – and not support the French government’s ban on the burqa? Nope, no problem. In fact, I feel I am in a...
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Badminton, not cheap thrills
The Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) recent decision to implement a new dress code for female players has been met with much controversy, particularly in Pakistan. Conservatives in the country are...
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Kalash: What we can learn from the lost civilisation
My family and I were fortunate enough to spend a few nights among the extraordinary Kalash last summer. This unique tribe is tucked away in the isolated mountain valley of Bumberet, hidden from the...
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At NUST: Fined for ‘wearing tight’ or no ‘dopatta’
As its contribution towards disciplining the youth of this country, the National University of Sciences and Technology (Nust) imposes fines on students for breaking their dress code. In their haste to...
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NUST: What’s so bad about a dress-code?
Since the concept of morality is fraught with subjectivity, any public discourse over it is always going to stir up a few emotions. Add to that a society, which has no qualms in projecting ostentatious...
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Does a 5-year-old rape victim have a future to look forward to?
She was just five-years-old. She still had many more years to go before she was meant to discover that the world is not a nice place and that heinous crimes are committed against innocent people. That...
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10 ‘argh’ moments with a Pakistani tailor
You’re a Pakistani and you’ve never made a trip to the tailor? I find that hard to believe. Whether it’s a job interview or a high school farewell party, tailors are the ones who can make every little...
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Did Brad Pitt really get punched by a Hollywood prankster?
A crazy Ukrainian decided to make it his life’s mission to go parading from one Hollywood event to another, making a fool out of himself at the expense of our beloved celebrities. His latest whim...
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Dear Forever 21 and Urban Oufitters, please stop plagiarising our Sindhi...
As someone who lived the majority of her life in a city packed with diverse cultures, I love and thoroughly enjoy indulging in food, jewellery, and clothing from various ethos and lifestyles. From...
View ArticleWith Zidane back on the sidelines, will Real Madrid make the most of the...
For much of the 2018-19 season, Real Madrid’s campaign has been driven by pessimism and trepidation. From mediocre performances on the field to a lack of purpose off it, the Los Blancos found...
View ArticleWhy is the US making a mountain out of the Masood Azhar molehill?
The United States has introduced a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution to blacklist Masood Azhar as an international terrorist. Azhar is the leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed (banned in Pakistan...
View ArticleKnock knock! Annabelle is coming home and things are about to get real scary
Following the Marvel path, The Conjuring universe has grown steadily over the last six years through both, the increasing returns that most films in the franchise have delivered and in stature through...
View ArticleIndia’s ‘Operation Isolation’ and the soft power of sports
“Our message is stronger than ever. Please stop the fighting. Please stop the killing. Please drop your guns.” Juan Antonio Samaranch, President International Olympic Committee speaking at the Winter...
View ArticleWhen khudkushi became her only freedom
The sky was a pool of black ink, dusted with stars at midnight. Arsh looked out from the window — she saw many little streets sprawled out below. She had only known these streets from inside the walls...
View ArticleIran and Iraq may not be tourist hot spots, but they offer a spiritual...
I was recently invited to a trip to Iran and Iraq by a group of close friends from Lahore, and as I had never been to these states before, I decided to take the opportunity to visit the shrines...
View ArticleRawalpindi: A chaotic labyrinth, caught between heritage and heresy
In the post-modern world, the topography of the city has undergone a drastic shift. Rapid urbanisation and growing job opportunities have resulted in many cities in the developing world being swamped...
View ArticleRaw and poignant, A Place for Us beautifully sheds light on familial love
It had been some time since I cried while reading a book. And A Place for Us changed that. Fatima Farheen Mirza’s dazzling debut novel tells the story of a South Asian Muslim family living in America....
View ArticleSea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini: A father’s lament of the barbarity we call...
“My dear Marwan, I look at your profile, In the glow of this three-quarter moon, my boy, Your eyelashes like calligraphy, Closed in guileless sleep. I said to you, ‘Hold my hand. Nothing bad will...
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